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Capital Punishment Extended?

Capital Punishment Extended?

Last updated on: August 16, 2025 at 10:42 am by Roger E. Olson

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Capital Punishment Extended? 2025-08-16T10:42:30-05:00 Roger E. Olson

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No, this is not about the Democratic state legislators who fled Texas in order to stop the vote on redistricting (gerrymandering). Not that I think they will succeed. No, this is about the state legislators in a Southern US state who are introducing legislation to make child abuse (of a particular kind not to be mentioned here explicitly) a capital crime, subject to execution.

I have to wonder what they are thinking. Evidence has mounted that many (mostly) men were falsely accused of that crime even by their own offspring—at the behest and coaching of wives/mothers who did not want to share custody. We know because the accusing children recanted their accusations later and testified that their mothers urged them to make the false accusations.

Also, IF that crime becomes subject to the death penalty, many fewer real victims will come forward even for help, knowing therapists and others will have to report it to authorities. Many of them will not want their abusers executed. Probably the majority will not.

Also, IF that crime becomes subject to the death penalty, many victims will recant their reports and accusations just to save the abusers’ lives.

I am no friend of child abusers, but, especially in this case, seeking their executions will inevitably cause more problems than it solves.

I am opposed to the death penalty in any case, but this one especially because of its counterproductive consequences, should it be legislated to cover this particular crime (or conviction of innocents).

Another thing I think is that females (e.g., teachers) who abuse underage boys will not ever be sentenced to death, so the penalty will be unfairly applied based on gender—just as the death penalty is now unfairly applied to the poor and minorities.

I feel so strongly about this that I cannot conceive why the legislators would even consider doing this. The consequences are so apparent, predictable and foreseen. They must be pandering to their constituents who, for obvious and good reasons, are very much exercised about the crime in question.

Maybe, then, they are not stupid or ignorant, just concerned about their own careers as politicians.

*Note: If you choose to comment, make sure your comment is relatively brief, on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of pictures or links.*

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